Tayrona National Park may be the most recognizable spot in Colombia. Those turquoise blue waters, tall coconut palm trees. I mean, it has even popped up on my login screen on my work computer! However, look at any photos of this place and it is easy to see why it’s on the top of everyone’s to visit place in Colombia.
While most people opt to spend at least one night inside the park, I think one day in Tayrona National Park is perfect. Forgo the expensive hammocks or tents (for real, it is not cheap) and enjoy seeing the best parts of the park in just one day!
Knowing Tayrona National Park is a huge tourist attraction, I have to be honest and say I was not superrrr excited to go. I was 100% picturing the beach covered with people lounging on towels and not really having a spot without someone basically on top of you. I’m very happy to report, that while this is no deserted beach, I would hardly even call it crowded! So honestly, Tayrona surprised me in a good way and I loved it! Though this could be in big part because:
- I did not visit during busy season (December/January)
- I went on a weekday
- I did not stay overnight (I’ve heard it can be loud and rowdy)
- I love hiking and took the “secret” entrance into the park
Heads up!! In order to preserve the ecosystem and allow the indigineous communities perform their ceremonies, the park is now closed from January 28th to February 28th. Word on the street is this will change in 2020 when it will close for two weeks at a time multiple months!
Interested in a lil history? Wondering why Tayrona doesn’t sound Spanish? Well, Tairona refers to the people living in Pre-Columbia Colombia aka before the Spanish conquest in the 16th century. To escape genocide, some people moved to the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta. Now, the indigenous Kogi, Wiwa, Arhuacos, and Kankuamo people are believed to be direct descendants of the Tairona.
how to get to tayrona national park
The closest city to Tayrona National Park is Santa Marta. This will be your jumping-off point. And tbh, Santa Marta is really nothing to write home about, so you don’t need to plan extra time “to see the city.” But this is the best to grab any essentials you may need for the park as everything inside the park shoots up to about 5x the price.
If you’re coming from Santa Marta, you can take the local bus which will take about one hour. To catch the bus, head to the Mercado Principal where buses leave approximately every 30 minutes (remember about South American time) and cost COP$7,000. Of course, there are options for private cars or taxis, but also pricier.
If you’re coming from Palomino, you can take any local bus headed to Santa Marta and just let the driver know you want to jump out at Tayrona and let them know which entrance. The ride is also about one hour and the cost is COP$7,000.
The best option? Stay in a hostel across from the park and do Tayrona National Park in one day. There are a few options, but I recommend Journey Hostel. The main entrance is walkable (like a 15 minute WALK) and the “secret” entrance (see below) is a quick bus ride away (hail a blue, green, and white one from the side of the road – super easy).
main entrance:
El Zaino is the main entrance into the park. This is the quickest option (about 2 hours) to the main beaches if that’s all ya wanna do. Take a bus or walk the 4km to the actual entrance, Cañaveral. But just to let ya know, good chance that you’ll have to wait in line to get in.
secret entrance:
Okay, maybe not exactly a secret, but El Zaino is definitely where most people head. Instead of entering the park there, enter at Calabazo, which is to the west. This is the best option if you: like some solitude, like hiking, and like wildlife (though probablyyyy won’t see any jaguars still). It’ll take about 4 hours to get to the beach from this entrance.
On your way back to your hostel, once you get to the road for the El Zaino entrance, take one of the buses offering to drive you back to the main road… don’t be cheap! I can’t stress this enough. Pay up and jump in! I am telling you from experience, the walk is literally just on a road, it’s long (but only 10 minutes in a car!), and it just sucks at the end of the day.
what to do in tayrona national park
the beach & relax
So you’re probably thinking Caribbean coast, gonna go relax and enjoy my time in those turquoise blue. Unfortunately, a lot of the beaches aren’t safe to swim in because the water is too rough – so look out for those red flags indicating no swimming allowed. La Piscina has the calmest water and the best place to swim. It is also possible to swim at Cabo San Juan, but this is also THE SPOT.
hike & explore
Enter at the Calabazo entrance. If it isn’t clear from just the walk to the entrance, you’ll be wandering through the jungle. There are some ups and downs, but for the most part, nothing too strenuous (unless you count heat and humidity… ) until you get to Pueblito, about a two hour hike from the entrance. Pueblito is home to the indigenous communities that still live in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta. To me, I felt slightly invasive as these are just people just living their life, so I just carried on my hike to the beaches.
Stay on the trail to the right to head towards Cabo San Juan (about an hour and a half or two hours). This will have you climbing up and down large boulders so make sure you’re comfortable with this. There is only one point where it felt a bit iffy and I needed a hand.
You also have the option to take a trail leading towards the left that takes you to Playa Brava (about an hour and a half). While a lot quieter than Cabo San Juan, you are also unable to go in the water here.
If your main plan is to beach it up, this is probably not the route for you as it will take 3.5 hours to 4 hours to get to the water.
UPDATE: Pueblito is now closed to the public at the request of the indigenous communities and unknown if slash when it will reopen. You can still enter at Calabazo and take the trail to Playa Brava and a new path leading to Cabo San Juan.
what to bring to tayrona national park
You’re going to be hiking into the park, so you’ll want to pack right since you’ll be carrying it in your small backpack. (I feel like this is obvious, but be smart and leave your big bag at your hostel/hotel!).
- Passport – first thing first, ya can’t get into the park without your passport! Be sure to have this with you, and I suggest to be safe, in a waterproof bag.
- Yellow Fever Vaccination – it has always been recommended to have this, but word on the street is that they now check for this!
- Money – I mean duh, but entrance for non-Colombians is COP$54,500/$17USD. If you are a student, don’t forget your ID because the cost goes down to COP$8,500 (less than $3USD y’all). Also needed for any food/drinks because no AMT y’all!
- Water – it’s hot AF and you’re hiking, soooo be smart. And you guyssss, 1L inside the park is COP$5,000 – that’s bananas.
- Snacks – there is food inside the park, but be sure to at least bring some snacks for the hike there/back.
- Sun protection – sunscreen, sunnies, etc.
- Bug repellent – apply before you go in order to help preserve the flora.
- Bathing suit – from personal experience (a not so happy one you guys…), don’t hike in your bathing suit if you’re a girl and plan on getting in the water.
- Change of clothes/shoes – see above. Don’t hike in a bathing suit y’all.
- Headlamp – make use of a full day… it may get somewhat dark walking in the jungle.
- Lock – if you plan to play in the water, there are lockers where you can store your valuables.
where to stay in & around tayrona national park
My suggestion is to just do a day trip to Tayrona. What do I recommend? Staying right outside of the park at the Journey Hostel. No joke, this is literally right across the street from the park. It is also brand new with a great vibe… so much so that most people I met there had intended to stay a night or two and instead ended up staying weeks and/or staying and volunteering there. The majority of people stay in the city of Santa Marta before heading into the park, but since this is not in Santa Marta, a big thing to keep in mind… food. Breakfast is provided, and you also have the option of buying lunch and dinner every day. They also keep plenty of beer in stock if that’s a worry for ya! There is a little mart next door for any snacks you may need.
Want to stay in Santa Marta? I stayed at the Dreamer Hostel after returning from La Guajira and I enjoyed it so much that I didn’t even leave the property for an entire 24 hours!
However, if you REALLY want to stay inside the park, the options are really a hammock or a tent. Cabo San Juan is the most popular spot aka crowded, but Arecifes is also an option. It is hot AF there so both will probably be kinda miserable so just accept that, but a tent also traps in that heat. Also, neither of these are exactly inexpensive – COP$72,000/$23USD for literally just a tent per night plus very basic amenities. If ya feeling bougie, there are a limited number of eco hotels to stay in. From what I’ve heard, these are wayyyy overpriced for what you get (think about $150-$200 a night for something super basic).
